Game device



Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,727

P. DONATO 'GAME DEVICE Filed oct. 2, 1925 C Pasquale Dona'o l@ o WwW/fw Patented .lam l2, i926.

PASQUALE DONATG, 0F NEW` YORK, '.N`. Y".

caninev nevica.

o Application iled October 2, 1925. Serial No. 60,611.0.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, PASQUALE DONATO, a citizen of Italy, and a vresident of the city, county, and State of New York, haye invented new and useful Improvements 1 n a Game Device, of which the following 1s a specification.

My present invention relates to games and has particular reference to game devices;

to be struck by aimed Itis a further object of the invention to' provide a device of this character which will be inexpensive to manufacture, of. a pleasing and attractive outward appear'- ance, and of staunch and rigid construction capable of withstanding the Wear and tear which a game of this character necessarily entails. Anotherobject ofthe invention is to provide indicating means in operative association with the device and or a character designed to function in a desired manner when the target is struck to indicate to the player or players from a distance, the results of their wttemptsa i A. feature of thev invention lies in pro viding a .plurality of targets suitably supported in adjacent positions, preferably inv super-posed horizontal rows to present a composite vertical target plane to thev player, and in providing indicia in association with each target to distinguish it from other targetsu In a preferred embodiment, the targets are numbered according to a predetermined plan so that if desired the number of points scored by a player may be at once arbitrarily. taken as the number of the tar et which was struck.

Anot er feature of the invention lies in providing the indicating means in the form. of electrically operated devices, preferably illuminating devices, and in roviding van, electric circuit for these devices which isI so designed that the indicating 'means will; be normally inoperative but Will function according to a predetermined plan. as the: targetor targets are struck.

In a preferred embodiment, the targets are mounted upon. a supporting` structure which provides a compartment in the baci: ofeach target, and an incandescent lamp isprovided preferably Within the compartment, Wherey the functioning thereof will indicate, by illuminating the compartment, the particuS Ylar target which was struck.

My preferred construction also'contemplates operating means Within each com partment and cooperating with both. the

in association with each target,

target and the lamp circuit for causing Athe lamp to function when the target is struck. In a preferred embodiment, the operating means comprises switch elements in the form of movable hammer elements ada ted to movewhen the targets are struck an i there by .to close the normally unconnected or broken electrical circuit lamp.

Another feature of the invention lies in providing means for simultaneoslyreturning all the switch elementsto their normal positions, thereby disconnecting all the elec trical circuits; and in a preferred embodiment I provide mechanical means o erable by a hand lever or the like for moving all leading to each the hammer elements simultaneously back 35 into their normal positions.

A further feature of the invention lies in providing means for supportinggthe targets resiliently upon the supporting structure to permit of momentary and in alpreferred construction, the tar ets operate irectly upon the movable switch elements during such displacement for initiatingy the operation of the Aindicating means. M

For the attainment of the foregoing obisplacement of each;

weaver hammer' invvardly past the vertical dead- This electrical circuit arrangement .is diagramamatically shown in Fig. 4, wherein the lamps 18 are represented by circles, the reference numeral 26 denoting the common electrical connection between all the lamps and one terminal 27 of the source of energy 5 the fixed contacts 25 being indicated by smaller circles, each electrically connected by means of a Wire 28 with its corresponding lamp; the lhammer elements 20 being indicated. by T-shaped devices' projecting from the shafts 1.9,'and the reference numerel 29 denoting the common electrical connection between all the shafts 19 andthe other terminal. 300i the source of energy.

.For the purpose ot returning the hammer elements 30, to their original substantially vertical positions and thereby again breaking all the electrical circuits, l provide U- shaped straps 3l carried by the shatts 19 adjacent to the hammer elements 20. More speciiicallythe;arms of the straps project through the shaft 19 on each sideoi each sleeve portion 2l, thereby .constituting pins for preventing axial displacement of:

the hammer elements 20. The curved portions of the straps 3l extend inwardly into the compartments 14 whereby they underlie the stems 22 when the hammers are in horizontal positions. I

Each shaft 19 is provideda't its proyecting end with a connecting rod or link 32 extending diagonally rearwardly downward and pivotally connected toa 'common control bar. 33 extending transversely of all the shafts 19. The lowermost link 32 isv es.- tended rearwardly beyond the bar 33 to providc'a handle member 34. When itA is dcsired to return the hammer elements to their' normal positions 'the handle member 34 is moved upwardly; this causes the links 32 to assume substantially horizontal positions, and causes the shafts 19 to rotate sufficiently to cause the straps 31, to push the stem portions 22. ahead of them back into normal position, 'that is, back past the 'vertical deadoenter position sothat the hammers are again. supported upon the rear facesof the targets l5. The handle member 34: 1s lthen lowered so that the straps 3l will be Withdrawn from the path of the substantially descending hammers.

For the purpose of illustrating more clearly the various positions assumed by the elements, the upper left-hand target of Fig. l. is illustrated as having been struck whereby the hammer-has beenfcaused to'contact with the element 25, thereby illuminating the lamp 18. In Fig. 2 the lowermost hammer is shown in contact 'with the element 25, asis the left-hand hammer element oit Fig., 3; the' other hammer elements of Figs. 2 and 3 are shown in their normal positions.

lt will be obvious from what has gone before that a lar e variety of rules may be prescribed, as desired,v but in a .preferred .method of play, itis contemplated aiming at the device with tennis balls projected in a well-known manner by means of a racket held inthe hand of a player. It will vbe apparent that any number ofpla'yers may l participate, either simultaneously, or in sequence, the particular skill ot each player determining which of the targets will be struck. ln the preferred construction, the largest numeral is placedupon the central target, thereby constituting a bulls eye vwhich lwill be struck by the player having the .most skill and best aim.

ll-lilthough I have illustrated and described various mechanical expediente, such as the hammer elements 2Q land the elastic strips 17, nevertheless l do not mean to limit myself to these constructions. llt will be obvious that many and various rchanges may be made by those skilled in the art without departing vfrom the spirit of the invention, and the details herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of my invention are intended to be interpreted as illustrative and .not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described-my invention, and

indicated its use, "what l desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. ln a game device. of the character dcscribed, a plurality of movable targets, indicating means associated with each thereof and operable by the target when struck, said means comprising a common shaft behind said targets and a movable hammer element rotatably mounted thereon behind each target, said hammer element being normally supported by 'the target-in a position slightly beyond the upper vertical position whereiio by movement of the target will jar the ly movable targets, indicating means associated with each thereof and operable by the target when struck, said means comprising a common shaft behind the targets and a plurality of movable hammer elements rom tatabl mounted thereon and normally supl porte 1oy the targets in inoperative. position,

and means for simultaneously returning all of said hammer elements to normal posltion,

said means comprising means for rotating 10 In witness whereof., I have signedthis 15 specilcation,

PASQALE DONATO. 

